Method of process of producing hollow tapes, ribbons, or bands of metal.



P. A. FELDKAMP.

METHOD 0R PROCESS OF PRODUCING HOLLOW TAPES, RIBBONS, 0R BANDS 0P METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1912.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F. A. FELDKAMP.

METHOD 0R PROCESS OF PRODUCING HOLLOW TAPES, RIBBONS, OR BANDS 0P METAL.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1912.

3 Ms m m Mm M m N T A H A w M mm M m rm mm mm 1 m O O 0 Sm, o S wo o o NT3 N\ A, wo W O UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

FREDERICK A. FELDKAHP, or nnwanx, new JERSEY, ASSIGNOB 'ro nmcrnom'noPRODUCTS 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OR PROC SS OF PRODUCING HOLLOW TAPES, RIBBONS, OB BANDS OF METAL.

Specification Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

Application filed April 12, 1912. Serial No. 890,230.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. Few- KAMP, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and i State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods orProcesses of Producin Hollow Tapes, Ribbons, or Bands of Meta and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

The present invention has reference to a novel method or process ofproducing hollow tape, ribbon or bands by depositing byelectrodeposition upon a readily fusible band or tape of lead, or othereasily fusible metal, a shell or skin of electrolytically depositedmetal, such as copper or the like; and, this invention relates, moreparticularly, to a novel method or process for making hollow tapes,ribbons, or bands of metal, and of the character set forth in anotherapplication for Letters-Patent filed by myself on the third day ofApril, 1912, Serial Number 688,338.

The invention, therefore, has for its principal object to provide anovel method or process for the purposes hereinabove stated, wherebysuch hollow tapes, ribbons, or 35 bands of metal may be producedelectrolytically in a simple and perfect manner and at a comparativelylow cost.

With the objects of the invention in view,

the said invention consists in the novel process or methodof electricallproducing hollow tapes, ribbons, or ban s of metal,

substantially as will be more fully described in the followingspecification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claimwhich are appended to and which form an essential part of thisspecification.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a diagrammatic representation, partly in vertical sectionand partly in elevation, of an apparatus and instrumentalities employedin producing hollow metal tape, ribbon, or bands of metal, and Fig. 2 isa detail plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the right-hand end of theapparatus and mechanism represented in said Fig. 1. Fig.3 is a detailtransverse sectional representation of the electro-plating tankemployed; and Fig. 4: is a detail plan view of the said plating tank.Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portionof theelectrolated lead or readily fusible metal band a ter having passedthrough the electrolyte contained in the plating tank; and Fig. 6 is asimilar section of the finished hollow metal tape, ribbon or band, afterthe lead or other readily fusible metal core or matrix has been fused ormelted out of said plated shell or skin.

- Similar characters ofreference are em-- ployed in the said abovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings, thereference-character 1 indicates a suitably constructed electro-platingtank, which may be of any suitable width and length,and of any suitableconstruction, the tank here shown comprising v longitudinally extendingsides 2,. the ends 3, and a base 4, the tank being preferably dividedinto two plating compartments by a longitudinally extending partition 5.Extending latera ly across the said compartments, at suitable intervals,are suitably constructed guiding and supporting rolls, as 6, the saidcompartmentsbeing also provided at suitable intervals in planes aboveand below the laneof said rollers 6, with laterally extending guide-bars7 and 8, said bars 7 being formed with holes or perfo-- rations 9, andthe said bars 8 being likewise provided with holes or perforations 10.As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, any number of such plating tanks 1may be placed in tiers vertically one above the other, being suitablysecured to the vertical supporting posts 11 of a building. It will beunderstood, however, that these tanks may be differently arranged andotherwise supported, if desired.

At any suitable point or points, preferably, at the one end and outsideof the platin tank 1 are a series of suitable rods or splndles, as 12,13, 14 and 15, the rods or spindles 15 being provided with anarrangement of upper and lower rotary brushes 16, the purposes of whichwill be presently more fully specified. Rotatably mounted u on the saidrods or spindles 12 are suita le reels, as 17, upon which are rolledsuitnected a pipe 29 which leads into the tank 30 able strips or bands18 of lead, or other easily fusible metal, said strips or bandsextending in forward directions, between other reels 19 and 20,mounted-respectively upon the previously mentioned rods or spindles 13and 14, the reeled off portions of the strips or hands 18, passingbeneath a roller 21, at the end of the lating tank 1, into and extendinglongitu inally of the tank through the compartments the: Jr, and thereeled off portions of said strips or hands 18 being arranged upon andpassing over the supporting rollers 6 within the plating tank. At theopposite or left-hand end of the plating-tank 1, the said strips orhands 18, which in the meantime have received by electro-,

or reservoir 24, and conveys the water from said sprayer back into thesaid tank or reservoir 24. At a suitable point in front of the washindevice there may be placed a cutting off evice, as 31, for cutting thesaid plated strip or' band into suitable lengths. This cutting offdevice may be adjustably arranged, so that short or long pieces .may becut from the plated strip or band 18, as will be clearly evident, thesaid cutting ofi' device being of any suitable construction,

and in this case being shown as'an electrically controlled andelectrically operated apparatus.

The pum 25 herein-above mentioned may be operate by means of an suitablemech-- anism, that herein shown eing a belt 32 passing over apulley-wheel 33 mounted upon a power-driven shaft 34. Upon said shaft 34is another pulley-wheel 35 over" which passes a belt 36 for driving apulle wheel 37 which operates a worm 38. Mes ing with said worm 38 is aworm-wheel 39 for suitably revolving the previously-mentionedfeed-rollers22' and 23. Of course it will be understood,.that any othersuitable arran ement of mechanism may be .em-

'- p10 e for operating both the said pump 25 an the said feed-rollers'22and 23, if desired.

As shown more particularly in Fig. 4 of the. drawin the partition 5 isleft at its ends with t e open parts 40 and 41, so as to establishcommunication at the end of the tank 1 between the two,co'mpartmentsthereof, a suitably constructed agitator,-'as 42,

being arranged in one of said open parts, as 40, whereby a continuouscirculation of the electrolyte contained in the v compartments of theelectroplatin tank 1 will be roduced from one tank or compartment intothe other in the direction of the arrows indicated in Fig. 4 of thedrawings.

Rotatably arranged upon the previously mentioned reels 19 mounted uponthe rods or spindles 13 are coils 43 of wire of any suitable gage, saidwire being usually of copper. The wire is reeled off said reels 19, andthe wire-strands 44 of said coils extend forwardly into and throu h theplating tank, the respective strands eing arranged and movably disposedupon opposite sides of the reeled-off portions of the flat strips orbands 18, said wire strands passing through the holes or perforations 9and 10 of the respective guide-bars 7 and 8, within said tank 1. At theopposite end of the said tank 1, the said wire-strands 44 of therespective coils of wire 43 pass over and around an upper and lowerarrangement of return-pulleys or wheels 45 and 46, returningrespectively above and below the said flat strips or bands 18, in theform of wire-strands 48 which also pass through some of the holes orperforations 9 and 10 in the respective guide-bars 7 and 8, passingfinally from the other end of the tank 1, and being rewound upon thereels which are mounted upon the respective rods or spindles 14. Y

To revent the reels 19 to unreel too fast,

suitab e friction devices, as 49, may be used, as indicated in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, and

any suitable power-driven mechanism may I be employed for producing thewinding-up operation of the reels 20, as will be evi ent.

Having in the above briefly'set'forth one form of apparatus which isespecially adapted for use in the process of oroducin hollowelectrolytically deposited tape, r1 bon,

1 or bands, of the general construction represented in Fig. 6 of thedrawings, I will now more particularly set forth the method or processof producing the said finished article of manufacture.

The electrolytic solution having been placed in the tank 1, themachinery is set in motion, the fiat band 18 of easily fusible metalbein drawn through the tank, entering at t e one end thereof, the band.18 being the cathode. The wire-strnds,hereinabove mentioned, aredistributed in the said tank, in substantiall the ,manner shown,

traveling also throng the electrolyte, upon;

opposite sides of the band 18, the said wire strands traveling in thesame direction of the band, from one end tank to the other end thereof,and then back again, said wirestrands acting'as the anodes. The resultis that the copper from the entering wire- .anodes is uniformlydistributed upon the entire surface-portions of the cathode band,

the reduced wire being reeled upon the reels 20, for future use, orother by-products, and the uniformly copper-plated band beingcontinuously delivered at the Opposite end of the tank, and passingbetween the cutters of the previously-mentioned cutting apparatus. Acomplete electric circuit is established through the apparatus by meansof the main circuit-wires 50 and 51, and the branch-circuit wires 52,53, 55, 56, 57 and 58. The circuit-wire 52 is connected at one end ofthe electro-plating tank 1, by means of the circuit-wires 55 and 56 withthe entering cathode-wires coming from the reels 19, be

ing in slidable electric contact therewith, and at the other end of thetank 1 the circuit-wire 52 is connected by means of the circuit-wires 57and 58 in electrical contact with the previously-mentionedreturn-pulleys or wheels over which the said anodewires pass. Similarly,the circuit-wire 53 is electrically connected at its respectiveendportions in sliding electric contact with the lead band 18 at the oneend, and with the copper-plated band at the other end of the platingtank 1. As the copper-plated band coming from the tank 1 passes frombetween the cutters of the cutting apparatus, the .end of the saidcopper-plated band is brought into contact with a circuit-wire 60 whichconnects the electrically operating cutting apparatus, by means of acircuit-wire 59 with the circuit-wire 52, thus placing the cuttingapparatus in circuit with the band 18. The result is, that as thecopper-plated band passes from the tank 1, the cutting apparatus isintermittently operated, and the copper-plated band is severed or cutinto pieces of desired lengths, which are automatically collected in areceptacle 61. If desired, the band 18 may be provided with suitablydisposed holes or perforations, as 62, so that the severed pieces ofelectroplated band, immediately after they have left the tank 1, insection, will have the appearance represented in Fig. 5 of the drawings.After the electro-plated band 18 has passed from the end of theelectroplating tank 1, and has been cut or severed into sections ofsuitable lengths, the fusible lead or other metal core within eachsection is thereupon removed from the copper shell or skin by theapplication of heat, the said metal core being of such readily fusiblemetal so as to easily clear itself from the electrodeposited coppershell, and the readily fusible metal flowing from the said copper shellor skin electrolytically deposited upon the said metal band 18 duringits passage through the electroplating tank 1.

From the foregoing description, and from an inspection of the drawings,it will be clearly evident, that by the use of comparatively heavy wiresmoving, as anodes, into and through the electrolyte, these wires areconstantlybeing reduced, so that their cross-sectional areas becomeless, and the wires will pass out of the electro-plating tank, after thereduction, in comparatively thin wires. The arrangement of the severalwires is such that at the place or point of the heavy ill-passing wires,there will also be the thin or greatly reduced out-going wires. Thecorresponding speed-movements of the several wires is such that at anypoint across the series of moving Wires within the electroplating tank,the reduction of the wires is such, so-that the sumtotal of the.

of No. 7 or 8 gage, which after a travel of' from four to five hourspass from the tank as out-going wires of No. 20 gage.

In the usual electro-plating processes, there is always a loss in theanodes of about 50 per cent., in the form of scrap copper, while withthe present method of passing the reduced wire automatically from thetank upon reels, there is no labor required in handling or removing thescrap-anodes from the tank; and, furthermore, there will be no loss ofelectrolyte clinging to the scrapanodes as they are being removed. Itwill also be evident, in the present case, that the reduced wire, say toa No. 20 gage, as a by-product, has a greater market value than the No.7 or 8 gage of the iii-passing wireanodes. Therefore, there not only isno loss in anode-copper, but a more valuable article, in the form of athin copper wire which is produced from the less valuable copper wirepassed into the eleotro-plating tank during the process ofelectroplating, besides the great saving in labor and electrolyticsolution.

Of course it will be understood, that according to existing conditionsand the work to be performed, in-going wires of larger or smaller gagemay be used, the outgoing wires during the process of plating beingreduced accordingly, and the time of movment of the wires through theelectrolyte also being varied as occasion demands.

By means of the herein described process or method and the apparatusemployed, I have provided anovel and eflicient method or process forproducing hollow tape, ribbon, or bands of metal, in the form of ashell-like article, the walls of which are quite thin and still havegreat strength, whereby the article is especially adapted for use inradiator constructions and cooling devices and may be used for manyother purposes.

I claim v 1. A method or process of producing hollow tape, ribbon orbands of metal which consists in passing a band of readily fusible metalinto a tank and'through the electrolyte therein, passing 'wire as ananode into and through the electrolyte upon the opposite sides of thesaid band and in reverse directions through the electroplating tank,forming electrolytically a shell of metal upon said readily fusiblemetal from the said wires during their passage through said platingtank, and passing the electroplated band of readily fusible metal fromthe other end of the plating tank.

2. A method or process of producing hollow tape, ribbon or bands ofmetal which consists in passing a band of readily fusible metal into atank and through the electrolyte therein, passing wire as an anode intoand through the electrolyte upon the opposite sides of the said band andin reverse directions through the electroplating tank, formingelectrolytically a shell of metal upon said readily fusible metal fromthe said wires during their passage through said plating tank, passingthe electroplated band of readily fusible metal from the other end ofthe lating tank, severing the said electroplated band into sections, andthen removing the readily fusible metal from within the said platedshell by fusion.

3. A method or process of producing hol low tape, ribbon or bandsprovided with tubular staying studs which consists in passing a band ofreadily fusible metal provided with amultiplicity of holes orperforations into a tank and through the electrolyte therein, passingwire as anodes into and through the electrolyte upon the opposite sidesof the said band and in reverse directions through the electroplatingtank, forming electrolytically a shell of metal upon all of the exposedsurface-portions of said perforated band from the said wires duringtheir passage through said plating tank, and passing the electroplatedband of readily fusible metal from the other end of the plating tank.

4. A method or process of producing hollow tape, ribbon or bandsprovided with tubular staying studs which consists in passing a band ofreadily fusible metal provided with a multiplicity of holes orperforations into a tank and through the electrolyte therein, passingwire as anodes into and through the electrolyte upon the opposite sidesof the said band and in reverse directions through the electroplatingtank, forming electrolytically a shell of metal upon all of the exposedsurface-portions of said perforated band from the said wires duringtheir passage throu h said plating tank, passing the electrop ated bandof readily fusible metal from the other end of the plating tank,severing the said electroplated band into sect-ions and then removingthe readily fusible metal from within the said plated shell by fusion.

5. A method or process of electroplating which consists in continuouslymoving a cathode into and out of an electroplating tank and through theelectrolyte contained therein, continuously moving an anode into and outof the electroplating tank and through the electrolyte containedtherein,

moving said anode and cathode at different speeds into, through and outof the tank and the electrolyte, and continuously deposit-ing from saidmoving anode upon said moving cathode.

6. A method or process of electroplating which consists in continuouslymoving .a cathode into and out of an electroplating tank and through theelectrolyte contained therein, continuously moving an anode into and outof the electroplating tank and through the electrolyte contained thereinin the direction with and also the reverse of the direction of themovement of the oathode, and continuously depositing from said from saidmoving anode upon said moving cathode.

8. A method or process of electroplating which consists in passing aband of one kind of metal into and out of an electroplating tank andthrough the electrolyte therein, moving wire of another metalas an anodeinto and out of the tank and through the electrolyte, and forming anelectro-deposition of metal upon said moving band from said moving wire.

9. A method or process of electroplating which consists in continuouslypassing a band of one kindof metal into and out of an electroplatingtank and through the electrolyte therein, moving wires of differentcross areas as anodes into and out of the tank and through theelectrolyte, and forming an electro-deposition of metal upon said movingband from said moving wires.

10. A method or process of electroplating which consists in continuouslypassing a band of one kind of metal into and out of an electroplatingtank and through the electrolyte therein, continuously moving a seriesof wires as anodes into and out of the tank and through the electrolytetherein and in opposite directions of the tank, and forming anelectro-deposition of metal upon said moving band from said movingwires, the in-going wires being of larger cross-area than the outgoingwires, but the sum of the total cross-sectional areas of all wires atthe different points across the electroplating tank being the same orapproximately the same.

11. A method or process of electro-plating which consists incontinuously moving an anode in the direction of its longitudinal axisinto an electroplating tank, through the electrolyte contained in saidtank, and out of said tank parallel to the longitudinal axis of acathode within the electrolyte, and depositing from said axially movinganode upon said cathode within the electrolyte.

' 12. A method or process of electro-plating which consists incontinuously moving an anode in'the direction of its longitudinal axisinto an electroplating tank, through the electrolyte contained in saidtank, and'out oi said tank parallel to the longitudinal axis of acathode within the electrolyte, continuously moving said cathode in thedirection of its longitudinal axis into the electroplating tank, throughthe electrolyte contained in said tank, and out of said tank, anddepositing from said axially moving anode upon said axially movingcathode within the, electrolyte.

13. A method or process of electro-plating which consistsin'continuously moving an anode in the direction of its longitudinalaxis into an electroplating tank, through the electrolyte contained insaid tank, and out of said tank parallel to the longitudinal axis of acathode within the electrolyte, and continuously depositing from saidaxiallymoving iLIlOdB upon said cathode within the electrote. l i. Amethod or process of electro-plating which consists in continuouslymoving an anode in the direction of its longitudinal axis into anelectroplating tank, through the electrolyte contained in said tank, andout of said tank, parallel to the longitudinal axis of a cathode withinthe electrolyte, continuously moving said cathode in the direction ofits longitudinal axis into the electroplating tank, through theelectrolyte contained in said tank, and out of said tank,.andcontinuously depositing from said axially moving anode upon saidcontinuously and axially moving cathode within the electrolyte.

15. A method or process of electroplating which consists in passing ametal body of one kind of metal into and out of an electroplating tankand through the electrolyte therein in the. direction of itslongitudinal axis, moving wire of another metal in the direction of itslongitudinal axis as an anode into and out of the tank and through theelectrolyte; and forming an electrodeposition of metal from said wireupon said firstmentioned metal body.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forthabove I have hereuntoset my hand this 10th day of April, 1912.

FREDERICK A. FELDKAMP.

Witnesses:

FREDK. P. FRAENTZEL, FREDK. H. W. FRAENTZEL

